lmavolio

Hi Everyone - I am trying to plan out my itineraries for Rome, Florence & Venice in September. I have been reading through Fodors & Frommers and there are a lot of discrepencies in the listed operating hours for major ruins, museums, etc. Frommers typically has these places open a lot later (so I hope they're right!). Fodors has them open on limited days and usually closed at 4:30PM. Any experience on who is right? I want to ensure I can see all that I want while I'm in these places, but don't want to rush through sites to make a 4:30PM closing somewhere else if the place is really open until 7PM...Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks

m_kingdom2

Seach for these places on the internet, their web-sites should list opening hours.

Eloise

On arrival in a city, go to the local tourist office and ask for the "orari dei musei e delle chiese." They will probably try to fob you off with a printed guide that may be as outdated as the guide books, but if you insist, they will often produce a rough-and-ready photocopied list of opening hours that is more current and more likely to be accurate.

111op

The website need not be accurate either. I remember having a discussion about the Naples Archaelogical Museum when I first started checking the forum -- see this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34443605

The best way is probably to call the museum directly. In any case, there could still be surprises when you get there anyway.

isabel

Just returned from Italy (Florence and Vencie) and found opening hours listed in guidebooks, and even on the internet, were really just guidelines. If you need to plan it that closely you'll have to call the museum directly. The later closing hours are usually for summer hours (which I think includes some or most of September). But even the hours listed on a sign right outside the site itself are not always accurate. Several times I got somewhere that said it opened at 10 and it didn't open till 10:30 or so. But also the reverse, I'd get somewhere that said it closed at 5:30 and was still open at 5:45. Also be aware that most of the prices for admission fees are higher than those listed in the books. On very rare occassions I found the reverse to be true.

111op

That's true, isabel, that the signs are not necessarily accurate. I noticed this when I was in Greece this year, and I assume that it could very well happen in Italy.

ira

ttt

Marilyn

Aaaah, Italia! Land of changes...

Alec

Always treat opening hours, closing days etc only as a guide in Italy (except at the largest sights like Vatican Museums and Pompeii). Even a thing like unofficial industrial action, shortage of staff or unscheduled restoration work can alter the posted times. Check out locally, and don't stick to rigid timetable but have alternative plans.